Animation is my Favorite!

There's something both innocent and fun about simple animation. Sometimes life is too serious. Here are a few animations I enjoy...

Simon's Cat
The way the cat moves is the cutest!


:)


La mer - animation test from doiion on Vimeo.



2010 International Animation Day trailer from doiion on Vimeo.



2012 Montreal Animated Film Summit from doiion on Vimeo.


For the love of super heroes...





This one takes me back to high school...






And here's a few illustrated things that make me chuckle...

You have to be in a mood for this one to be funny.

Punny

hugs :)

Love and the 11th Dimension

Here is an 11-minute video that will blow your mind. I was so amazed by the theories expressed here that I literally hyperventilated after watching it. No joke. If you don't watch it, the rest of this post won't have the same impact. (Unless you already understand the dimensions).


I have always perceived God as an entity outside of time, looking at all happenings all at once. He sees my death and my birth and everything in between all in the same "instance" for lack of a better term. Obviously I can't describe this with human words, but I always imagined it like a person looking at a timeline, but seeing all the events happening... which makes sense, but it also doesn't makes sense because I'm using space and time to visualize something outside of space and time. That is why I was never bothered with the concept of predestination, because I can't possibly try to perceive something outside of my own capacity to understand. And why should I make conclusions based on an argument that has no vocabulary for what we're actually arguing about?

I would stare out the window of my dad's car as a teen (I did a lot of thinking staring out of the backseat window), thinking about the argument that I've heard so many times, "If God knows my every decision before I make it, couldn't he stop me from making the stupid ones?" or, "If God knows everything I do, then do I really have freedom to choose what I do?" or, "If everything is already predetermined, do I even have free will?" and then the counter argument, "Just because God knows what will happen before it happens, doesn't mean you don't have a choice in the matter." I decided it was the most useless conversation to have in the first place. People are making hard conclusions that God's all-knowing quality removes the possibility of free will... but the truth probably looks more like something none of us can contemplate anyway. The question dissipated in my mind and I never asked it again.

Naturally, the theories in the above video rocked my view of God, but my conception of God outside of time looking at all happenings at once made even more sense. Except now I have an even stranger visual of my 4th-dimensional self being a strange snake-like thing. But from whatever dimension God is perceiving things, He most likely sees things in an incomprehensible way. God is a being who transcends time and space, and resides in the highest dimension. This is always in the back of my mind when I think about Him.

Lately I've been thinking about something John Crowder said in one of his teachings, "Love is a person." This concept has been stewing in my subconscious for some weeks now. I've been stuck on 1 John 4:16 all this time, "...God is love..."

My faith in God is only strengthened as I ponder this, especially when I think about my relationship with my husband. We are like electrical conduits gaining a charge from our time spent with God and releasing that charge onto each other. The most beautiful, most intimate times I've had with him have all been times during or after our time spent focused on God. God is our source of love. He brought us together, and He sustains our love in the most beautiful, gratifying way. I pray to God and I am more in love with Dustin, no matter what I was praying about. It was that way when we were dating, when I would ask God to take Dustin away from me (because my leaders were telling me he wasn't the one for me), and I'd get up from that prayer practically drunk with admiration for that man.

But it's not true because of my experience; it's true because it's true. And 1 John 4:16 says it. God is love.

I see a variety of Facebook posts on the subject of love. Most of them agitate me because their conception is terribly limiting. A lot of my Facebook friends are of the belief that love is a choice. I used to believe it too. This reminds me of the free-will argument I discussed earlier. If I chose to love Dustin, it was the most passive choice I could have ever made; I chose love like a leaf chooses to float down a river current. It was so irresistible, there was no other choice to make. I later chose to commit myself to Dustin. But my choice to commit was merely a fruit of my love. That choice wasn't love itself!

And did I choose to love God? Well, He chose me. If I made a choice it was to cave under the tremendous weight of God's overwhelmingly irresistible glory.

Others like to say love is hard work; that you have to choose to love your spouse, and this choice is a daily recurrence. I suppose it can get to this point when life spreads you thin. But these people make love sound like misery. I don't have to choose to love Dustin daily. And I don't have to choose to love God daily. I simply love because I trust Love Himself, who lives inside of me.

If your definition of love doesn't assume the truth that God is the center of it--is the substance of it--you are robbing yourself of the hottest, most sensual, most intimate, soul-deep connection with your spouse. You're robbing yourself of a lot of fun and laughs. You're robbing yourself of true friendship(s). You are robbing yourself of the healing that could happen in a broken relationship. But, most importantly, you are robbing yourself of understanding God. All love comes from Him. And He loves you deeply.

The God who transcends time and space is love.

Christopher Nolan created a moment of utter profundity in Interstellar which I cannot describe in a way that could possibly do it justice. But this quote struck the core of me:

"You're a scientist, Brand."
"So listen to me when I say that love isn't something we invented. It's observable--powerful. It has to mean something... maybe it means something more [than social utility]--something we can't yet understand. Maybe it's some evidence, some artifact of a higher dimension that we can't consciously perceive... love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space. Maybe we should trust that, even if we can't understand it yet."

I think I know what Nolan is referring to, whether he realizes it or not.

"...I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! (Eph. 3:17b-21)

Debates and Arguments Don't Win People Over.

I'm always reading blog after blog from members of my demographic: Christian twenty or thirty somethings who have been blogging since Xanga was popular and are figuring out life as newlyweds, new parents; those who are starting their new career paths, or are lamenting the fact that they haven't established their career or families yet... young adult Christians who are starting to verbalize the convictions that have been brewing in their subconscious. They are deciding whether they agree or disagree with what they've been taught; they are making conclusions about life and setting up guidelines for how they want to live; and they are declaring it to others in their Facebook circles. Obviously I am one of these people. Here I am, after all, blogging on a blog site that is devoted to expressing my theological beliefs.

I am particularly interested in what people believe about God, love, life, and church. That's my world. I'm a minister, (or counselor to be more specific) whether I like it or not. I naturally operate that way. I want to help people understand the gospel, which leads to finding happiness in God, and which subsequently leads to finding themselves. So when I read blogs, the counselor comes out. But in the virtual world, it doesn't come out nicely. It comes out mostly in bitterness, "Why do you believe this?!" or, "I have to disagree with you." or, "What are you thinking?!" Or I'll start up a debate with the motivation to win them over to what I believe is something that will ultimately help them. But no one ever changes their mind in a debate. Certainly no one has a life-altering eureka moment in an argument. The goal in an argument is to win, or at least to stand firm, so the people are always on the defensive.

Actually, I find that debates cause the opposite of my intended goal. I want to win them over to a belief that I believe is better for them, but I end up making them feel more secure in their own beliefs. It's an innate pride in me, and in my "opponent". It's the very few who have basically no pride who listen. But even the best of us have limits. You'd be a fool to just accept what anyone tells you. Wisdom informs us at least that much.

Why am I saying this? It's because I've been bombarded by blog opinions for several years now, and I'm noticing trends. I want to debate with each of these people individually. And I have all too often done so. My husband likes to point out when I come off as a jerk on Facebook, for which I'm grateful. Sometimes in my haze of good intentions, I come across as a digital troll. And sometimes I've just had a bad day.

So, slowly I've been training myself to stop. When I see something I want to respond to and I find myself getting heated, I write the response elsewhere, either on my phone, or on my computer, and I think on it. Eventually I decide that it's not worth posting. Because in all honesty, it's not people I'm fighting against, it's mindsets. But in the form of a written argument, people get hurt or offended, and that's not my intention.

And that's what this blog is for: it's a way to turn my responses to other peoples' ideas into a discussion about the ideas themselves.

Is Suffering Good for Us?

I was in Philosophy class the other day while students were presenting their papers. One student presented Socrates' question to Euthyphro, "are things pious because the gods like them, or do the gods like them because they are pious?" In her words, are things good because God says they're good, or does he say things are good because they simply are good? I will not answer this specific question, but I will address what came up in the discussion.

She brought up the words of another philosopher (whose name I forget) who said that we as humans have no idea what good and evil is. Who are we to say that evil isn't good?

"That resonates with me because sometimes bad things happen to me, but it makes me a better person." One other student said. And everyone seemed to be in agreement with this conclusion.

In another class, a teacher of mine said that "pain is good for you." And everyone seemed to believe this as well.

But can you tell the girl who is a sex slave that her suffering is good? Can you tell the starving child that his suffering is good? Can you tell the crack addict that her suffering is good? And can you say that suffering always produces good character? I don't think so. I think pain makes us worse people. And some of us never heal from it.

In my opinion, only people who have Christ can say that suffering is good, because "Christ works all things for the good of those who love Him..." They have seen their pain bring good results (such as strength or better character) and instead of seeing God as the reason for those good results, they look at the pain or evil itself and call it good.

But I refuse to call evil good. I refuse to believe that suffering is good. I refuse to think that my suffering was necessary to make me a better person because not everyone who suffers turns out better. Others who have been through similar circumstances as me have not recovered, and have even left their faith. I credit God alone for the good results in my life. I cling to Him tightly. There are plenty in this world who have suffered and have never recovered.  They have delved deeper into drugs or alcohol. They have resorted to violence and theft. They have become renegades, searching for power. They have been driven by revenge. They have stopped trusting others... Are these things good? By no means! And can we say that evil or suffering makes us better? No. God, by His grace, makes us better. He is the only true good.

I understand that discipline is necessary to raise a child... But the spank itself is not a good thing, and the goal is to only spank as much as necessary, not to over-do it. It may be a necessary evil, but no evil is good. Evil is only sometimes necessary because human beings have a sinful nature, and sometimes punishment is required. But is it good? No. Pain may help us learn, but suffering is not good. Pain is not good. Evil is not good. And we don't always learn. Some of us circle the same mountains all our lives.

Another student in my philosophy class brought up the scenario of the thief who is stealing food for his starving family. Lets say the thief had no control over his loss of money and was strictly a victim of circumstance. The student struggled to determine whether or not this thief was justified in his actions. And so did the rest of the class. And when I said, "No. He's not justified," I seemed like a calloused jerk. But calling things what they are is important. If I were facing the man, I would not judge him, nor condemn him (I'm not speaking civil law, here, I am strictly speaking in social context). However, I will never rationalize his actions as good. Yes, it is easier to have compassion for this man because it is a good thing to provide for a family, and his determination to do so is noble. But the end never justifies the means. And my goal would be to help him so he does not have to steal in order to survive.

In no case is theft justified. What about if he stole from someone who was filthy rich and wouldn't miss what was stolen? I don't think so. Robin Hood will never be justified in stealing. Shall we grant him mercy? Perhaps. Extent understanding? Sure. Have compassion? Of course. But lets not call any of these things good based on unique circumstances. Stealing is stealing. Sin is sin. Evil is evil.

Now, having said this, I must clarify that I am not one to go looking for sin in others. I am not one to go digging it up or pointing it out. I am not one to cast judgment on people for sinning, and I often tell people, "you don't need to justify yourself to me." I am not one to even focus on the sin at all (except in the case of injustice). If you've read my blog you know that I'm always ranting about how unhealthy it is to be so focused on sin. Too many pastors make a living out of it, and too many Christians think its their duty. If I were talking to the thief, I'd tell him that he is not defined by his actions and that we should stop identifying him as a thief, but rather a man. So this discussion is not one I have with people often. And so it may sound like I'm casting judgment on a person by saying sin is sin, but I'm not. If we're going to abstract ideals and talk about them and make conclusions about them, I'm not going to rationalize things falsely.

The fact that I am stronger or more patient after the evil I've been through does not make the evil a good thing. Strength and patience are gifts from a God who has turned all that which was meant for evil into that which is good. I owe it all to Him. And I appreciate Him all the more because I can learn from my mistakes. But I refuse to say that my own mistakes were necessary. I refuse to accept that what happened to me was good. I will not thank God for the suffering, only the good that He brought about from it. Perhaps I have a wrong attitude.

Sometimes we think we've learned something, but really, we've only made conclusions that are unhealthy; conclusion such as, "I'll never trust another man." Or, "All people who drink alcohol are alcoholics and should be avoided." Or, "All leaders will cause me suffering." Or, "I am not worthy of love." These are a few of the many things I myself have had to work through. They are false beliefs that I would have kept with me had I not had the guidance of wise God-fearing people, and the reassurance of the Holy Spirit to trust again. I'm no different than the next person. Without God, I'd be fearful, alone, depressed, and angry.

With all that said, I cannot and will not say that evil is good, or that suffering makes us better. Only God is good, and only God makes us better. I will only give credit where it is due. 

I will conclude with these scriptures:

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone." (Mark 10:18 NIV)

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 NIV)

A Response to Barnabas Piper on Race

Earlier a friend of mine posted this article on facebook:

"Why White People Don't Like To Talk About Race" by Barnabas Piper

This blog is a response to this article.

Let me first say that it's good he is trying to speak out and be a part of the conversation and is doing so with intent to bring understanding. I respect him for that. But I also find his view narrow and even misleading. He is accusing white people who don't want to talk about racism as either outright racist or subtly prejudiced. That may be so in some cases, but I beg to differ.

Let me bring some clarity to why I--and many of my friends--have not wanted to talk about racism, or why the responses have been... well, poorly informed. (Obviously my view has changed now, but I will admit, I was one of these, which is why I understand it).

The thing is, most of us were taught in school that racism is over. We were taught about the abolition and Martin Luther King Jr. And civil rights... We actually were taught to look at each other as equals. And we do. So when black people talk about racism, those in my generation who don't face it simply don't know what everyone is talking about. "Why are you talking as though we're not equals? That's racist." This is the first thought. A lot of white people think they are being accused of what their ancestors did to Africans. They think black people are just digging up the past. The knee-jerk reaction is offense because they don't think it's fair to be accused of being racist for what their ancestors did or for what other racist people are doing... because they are not racist. They don't even think of black people as any less than equals. 

But they also don't know that the system still works against black people. It is ignorance, but it's not prejudice. It is the lack of knowledge of what's going on today. Some of my friends actually don't believe there is such a thing as systemic racism. They think its existence is something to debate about.

Many in our generation suffer from willful ignorance in almost every way. They don't want to know where their food comes from, they don't want to hear about the damage we are doing to the environment, they don't want to know about the harmful chemicals in city water, they don't want to know about the ocean being depleted, they don't understand how their government works, and they know little about politics... It's not something that white people have against black people, they don't know what's going on in the world except for what they see on Facebook and the insanely biased news stories from CNN. It's the American lifestyle of willful ignorance. Racism is yet another thing ignored. (not everyone falls into this category, but a great majority do).

And those who are racist don't believe in systemic racism either. This is mostly the older generation. Take mortgages, for example. They were set up to keep certain people from getting into certain areas, which resulted in non-white races being stuck in low-income zones. White people (not all, but some) see that and think its because of a lower standard of living, or a lack of responsibility that caused it. I have older friends who honestly believe black people just have no self-respect because they see a trend in how badly run down their neighborhoods are. They have no idea that it was set up that way by white people. And so it's difficult for them to understand the problem. To them, this talk about racism sounds like a bunch of irresponsible people trying to get hand-outs from the government (in some cases that is true). And they see all those you tube videos of those women who are telling people how they got more money by having another child... It reinforces their racist thinking. Not that they are justified in their thinking. But Piper makes it seem like it comes from an inherent desire to be the only race... That's just not true. It's more complicated than that.

The rest of this blog is addressing the issue in general, not the above article...
 
Ignorance is one thing... But speaking out on a subject in ignorance is a big problem. It only adds hurt. This Ferguson case brought to light much of the feelings that black people have, and on Facebook, so many are just railing in defense. White people are getting frustrated because they don't want to be accused of something they didn't do, and they don't want to take on guilt, saying things like, "Why is it that every time a white on black crime happens, it has to be about race?" and being defensive and angry that people are making it into an issue that "isn't real". It's true that sometimes people make a mountain out of a molehill. But there is a trend. Let's look at the trend and admit that there is something deeper going on here. Let's not be flippant and defensive.

It's easy to get defensive. I said in an earlier blog that I get frustrated when my friends ask, "Is it because I'm black?" when it has nothing to do with their race... but they've had to deal with racial disadvantage, it's no wonder they suspect it.

I'm not saying white people should feel guilt and go cry and feel ashamed. I'm simply saying, lets try to understand the situation rather than spout off stuff that is hurtful and reinforces the problem. Let's change our attitude. There is a people group that feels undervalued and is hurting. Let's not think that racism is over. Let's listen to those who feel they don't have a voice.

If a bully hurt a kid, and the kid cried about it, would you feel angry at the kid for crying? Not that black people are kids and white people are bullies, but when racist acts occur against black people, and black people cry out, and people respond with offense, isn't that the same thing? That's what all this ignorant ranting feels like to my friends who are black. It is adding insult to injury. I know my white friends who are ranting aren't racist, but it can sure feel like it to my black friends.

Let's know what we're talking about. Let's admit that there is a problem and let's listen to the hurting and broken people. Let's make this world a better place.

A Question For My Friends Who Are Black

[Warning: This is a discussion about racism. Please be understanding and gracious to me and please be sensitive to others when you comment. I am going to be vulnerable here, and I honestly want feedback.]

How can I, as a white person living in America be an encouragement to my friends who are black? This is an honest question.

Sometimes I feel like I can't win; that no matter what I say, I'll just be seen as racist because I'm white. There are a lot of things I'm not allowed to say as a white person and that makes me feel like I'm walking on egg shells. Am I even allowed to say the word black? Sometimes I even avoid that description. When I bring it up around others, I'm always afraid of what might come out. And when people bring it up around me, I usually try to change the subject because more than likely I'll say something that will be taken the wrong way.

It's like when people call you crazy... any attempt to deny it makes you look crazier.

I often hear my black friends say, "Is it because I'm black?" and that insults me because it makes me think they believe I'm that shallow... I'm treating them the same as all my other friends but that one question makes me feel trapped. Is it even possible to assure someone who thinks that way that I'm not even thinking about their race? I usually think, "Don't be ridiculous! Why would I treat you any different because of your skin color? Do you really think that poorly of me?" But I remind myself that the truth is most of them have dealt with people who do treat them differently because of their skin color. It's no wonder they tend to suspect that bad things happen to them because of their race. But often I forget that. I've never been denied a job, never been kicked out of an establishment, never been unnecessarily pulled over by a cop, or been accused of crime solely because of my skin color.

I imagine it probably feels something like being a woman in vocational ministry (for lack of better terms). In most churches I've experienced, I'm not taken seriously, I'm not allowed to be a member of the board, and I would never be considered for a head pastor position, if I'm passionate I'm seen as overly emotional, and when it comes to my appearance, there's a fine line between "slut" and "lovely". I'm considered able to be in charge of "women's" ministry (which comes with a lot of stereotyping and belittling connotations) or youth or children, and that's all. But I just love people, and I love the gospel. Why should I be confined or expected to fit a certain mold? And most men think that I'm being ungrateful or B8%@#y when I talk about these things. It's because they don't have to deal with it in their own lives. Not all of them treat women that way, so for them, it doesn't really exist.

And I must admit, I've had that same attitude towards black people when they start talking about racism. I don't treat people a certain way because of race, so for me it's ridiculous to even bring it up. I tend to mirror the people I'm around, but it's not a race thing, it's a personality thing. Yes, I have been judged because of my race. Yes I've been looked at with contempt for no real reason. Yes, I've been made fun of. Yes, I've been accused of being too white. I've been put down and treated differently because of my race. But it has never affected my ability to get ahead in life, and so when others complain about the same things, I think to myself, "get over it." But that doesn't help. It only hurts. It only makes people feel like I don't actually care about what they're going through. I don't want to be that person.

I'm talking about this because I had a conversation in class yesterday about systemic racism and how a lot of the ways our economy was originally set up was to ensure that black people would be at a disadvantage. This systemic racism still exists, though not proactively as a whole. A lot of people like to act like we are way past racism, like we've already dealt with it. But there's a lot of left-over residue from the past, and it hasn't completely died. In our discussion, we asked ourselves, "Should we attempt to be a part of the conversation? And if so, what is the best way to go about it?" We discussed how difficult it is to talk about it as white Americans, and how sad and heavy it makes us feel to see the hatred and flippant dismissal of current issues (Ferguson) all over social media.

We never came up with a solid answer (though a student did suggest blogging, hence this post). And so I return to my original question: how can I as a white person be an encouragement to a black person, especially in times like these when tensions are high in many places? In what ways have I been insensitive (or in what ways are white people commonly insensitive) to the issue? Is there something I should do, or stop doing? I genuinely want to know.

Are Spiritual and Physical Health Separate Entities?

I'm always ranting about how Christians focus too much on sin: trying to overcome it, avoiding it, encouraging others to stop it, etc. So, again, I was ranting this morning to a friend of mine (I'm always unsure if people really want to hear my rants... so I try to keep them in my blog). I started talking about how my husband and I keep each other accountable in different ways, saying things like, "Are you resting?" or "How are you feeling?" and trying to take care of each others' needs, rather than asking each other about sin areas. I said to my friend, "If you're healthy, you're less likely to even want to 'sin'." and she thought for a moment and replied, "you mean, if you're spiritually healthy." I responded, "yes."

That got me thinking. When I said "healthy" I meant, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. It never occurred to me to specify "spiritually" because I don't separate these from each other. They are simply four areas of our overall health. I suppose you can separate those things in your mind. Yes, its possible to be spiritually healthy and physically unhealthy. And yes, it's also possible to be physically healthy yet spiritually dead... But in my mind, lacking health in any of the four areas means you're just not healthy.

Each aspect of health (spiritual, physical, emotional, mental) affects the other. I talk about the effects of stress quite a bit, because I feel people dismiss it too much. When you are sleep-deprived, overworked, stressed out, and tired, you literally are blocked from some ability to engage in higher brain functions. When you are in that unhealthy state, your brain focuses its attention to the impulsive, instinctual part of your brain, and leaves the frontal lobe with less function. Your intuition, moral judgment, self-discipline and self-control are all managed in the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe enables you to override impulses and base desires. When that is weakened, of course you're going to struggle more with "sinning". You've put yourself at a disadvantage.

Now, I understand there are times in which we just have to work hard, and sleep gets put on hold. I'm in that state right now. I'm not condemning anyone here. I'm simply pointing out that good physical health puts us at an emotional, spiritual, and mental advantage, and bad health puts us at a disadvantage. There is a direct correlation between our spirit, mind, and body.

When I'm tired or stressed or emotionally spent, I eat more, do less, and that which I do is of less quality. Plus I don't care about the quality so much because I'm just plain tired. I love my philosophy class, but I do not care about what Euthyphro said to Socrates when it's two in the morning and I just want to sleep. When I'm depressed, I'm not thinking about how I can be there for my loved ones, I'm thinking about how I want them to be there for me. I'm a vortex rather than a wellspring. When I'm hurting, I tend to build up walls and I'm mean to others, snappy even. After a week of constant sleep-deprivation, I start to get in this survival mode in which it's easy to prioritize tasks because I only do the things which are absolutely necessary at the moment. Laundry piles up, dishes get crusty, and I start getting sick. The mess makes it more difficult for me to focus. Then when I finally get a full night of rest, I don't have a constant headache, and I almost don't know what to do with my time. But it takes a bit to get back into the swing of things.

When I'm well-rested, I'm productive, positive, and what I do is quality. I am able to get ahead, cook delicious foods, prioritize and manage my time, get things done and enjoy doing them. I feel good about myself, and I look better. More than that, I have the capacity for self-control. I don't sit on the couch and veg-out watching TV shows because I have too much energy. I am nice and thoughtful to my husband and my friends. I find myself able to focus. And I don't gain weight so easily

There is no sin where there is no need. When we have needs, we seek them out. Without our higher brain function, we can't override base impulses. And those impulses become stronger when those needs become greater.

That is how Dustin and I keep each other accountable. We help take care of each others' needs, and we trust God to fill those spiritual needs that we can't fulfill for each other. And I feel it is really the most effective way.

I used to be that leader who would ask about all the trouble areas in a person. I have seen for myself that it simply doesn't work. Once in a while it can be therapeutic--sometimes we need to get stuff off of our chest--but week after week? There are some things you can encourage a person to do, and you can even find fulfillment in it, but it's a slow and painful process. Years of confessing sins and praying for strength... And there's always a sense of condemnation or depression, even the temptation to feel superior to someone who struggles in  an area you don't. Focusing on the failures just brings out the worst in them. Only when I began to encourage those people did I see true growth. When they believed they were a son or daughter of God, they acted like one. When they believed they were a sinner, they acted like one. And as I encouraged them, I was able to see them in a more positive light.

One encouraging word has infinitely more effectiveness than a hundred corrective words.  If someone is able to overcome sin, it's because God did it. Why should I continuously put that burden back onto the shoulders of the one from whom God removed it?

I have a huge beef with the idea of "accountability" partners. If a friend became my accountability partner and always asked me, "how are you doing in 'that' area of temptation?" (with the best of intentions) it would change the dynamic of our relationship. I would be vulnerable and open at first, but the longer I struggled with that thing, every time she asked, I would be tempted to lie, or after a while I just stopped saying anything because, gosh-darn-it, I should be over this by now. Isn't accountability supposed to help me? I'd start focusing on that area of temptation and how badly, or how well I was doing. And I'd be more likely to keep thinking about those things... And I'd associate that sin with that friend, because she was always asking about it. Then I'd stop wanting to be around her. Why have an accountability partner who is only going to remind you of your struggles? Many a deep friendship of mine has slowly disintegrated this way. That question, "How are you doing in 'that' area" carries with it the power of suggestion. What you focus on becomes your reality (I credit George Lucas for that quote from Quigon Jin in Star Wars). If I'm focused on sin, well, I'm going to struggle with it. "What a man thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7) And then if I find that the sin stops becoming a struggle, I might be tempted to take credit for God's work in me and become proud of myself. I might be tempted to think I've earned something. Who needs Jesus, right?

But back to health... (see, I really am always ranting about how we focus too much on sin). Be healthy. Don't neglect your physical health (people tend to do that). It affects your mind, your emotions, and your spirit. They are not separate entities, but parts of the same. It doesn't help to separate them. You only have one body. Take care of it.

Now that I've said all of this, remember that it is Christ who does the good in us. Trust Him. We must take care of ourselves, but we are never able to do anything righteous without God Himself moving through us. Give Him your burden of sin, and stop carrying it.